This week Düsseldorf
by SJ Howitt
Summary: First fanfic so be kind. When Martin and Arthur are left behind while the others go to an Air England Reunion, they meet someone who might change Martin's Luck.
1. Chapter 1

This Week ….Dusseldorf

Cabin Pressure created by John Finnemore and stolen lovingly by SJ Howitt, lol.

I don't own ANYTHING, but as this is my first fanfic. Please be kind! Much hugging and kissing aimed at my dearest friend Jason Layton, whom I dedicate this too ENTIRELY!

"Fitton Tower, Golf Tango India ready for takeoff runaway 3".

"Hey Skip, Skip, Skip, Skip, Skip, Skiiiiiiiiiiiiippppppppppp!"

"What is it Arthur?"

"This is great, brilliant, really great isn't it? You and me, without Mum or Douglas?

'Up! Down! Flying around,  
>Looping the loop and defying the ground.<br>They're all frightfully keen,  
>Those magnificent men in their flying machines.'"<p>

"Oh Arthur please stop"

"Golf Tango India, Fitton Tower Echo Golf Foxtrot Charlie, Turn left heading 270, runway 3 cleared for takeoff."

"Fitton Tower, Golf Tango India, Heading 270 Runway 3, thank you"

"Golf Tango India, erm are you sure you want to take of solo?"

"Oh not you as well, Tower"

Captain Martin Crieff sat at the sticky table in the crew café at Glasgow Prestwick Airport, the weak plastic coffee he was still attempting to drink had long gone cold. Having dropped off their cargo he and Arthur needed to return to G-ERTI and continue with their next leg to collect Carolyn, Herc and Douglas from the Air England reunion in Dusseldorf. If only Arthur would return…

"Well Skip who'd have thought , they only have the White Toblerones here" Arthur shouted from the other side of the room waving his Pyramid Chocolate proudly.

Martin groaned, and collecting his hat went to meet the beaming Steward.

"Come on Arthur, hurry up or Carolyn will think we've hijacked G-ERTI and abandoned them in Dusseldorf." They started walking through the airport, Martin briefly imagining himself as Leonardo Di Caprio in "Catch me if you can", Arthur skipping behind in his wake.

Suddenly they were sideswiped by a tiny red headed woman, Martin made a very Un-Di Caprio sound, and Arthur was knocked to the ground dropping his Toblerone.

"Oh oh oh I'm dreadfully sorry oh sorry" the tiny woman started "are you two by any chance pilots?"

Martin sat up on the floor, and Arthur went scrambling after his Toblerone. The woman scrabbled up and fixed him with her big green eyes.

"erm er well yes, well I am" Martin Stumbled as she smiled and fixed him with those eyes "I'm Captain Martin Crieff"

"Oh wonderful, and did you just say you're flying to Dusseldorf?"

"Oh yes" Arthur piped up hugging his chocolate, "we are going to pick up the rest of us, I mean those of us who aren't here, I mean everyone…well anyway"

"Brilliant" the woman interjected "could I possibly trouble you for your jump seat?"

"Oh WOW" Arthur suddenly leapt "are you a pilot too?"

"Arthur" Martin groaned, helping himself and the woman up "but are you, a pilot I mean?"

"No" she laughed and shook her head "I'm an ATCO, but I was supposed to be in Dusseldorf this morning, and I've been stuck here all day."

"Erm look I'm afraid, I mean I'm not sure I don't think my boss would…" Martin stuttered

"Oh go on Skip" Arthur piped up "we could be like Arthur in Camelot, rescuing the Lady of the Lake from those trolls!"

"I'm sorry Arthur, I don't think your Mum would appreciate me giving a lift to strange, sorry, women"

"I'll pay you" the woman begged "wait your Mum?" she looked at Arthur "It's your Mum's airline? So can I appeal to you?"

"Oh go on Skip?" Arthur squeaked again

"OK but Arthur you have to explain this to Carolyn."

After walking through passport control, and Arthur declared his Toblerone, they went out to G-ERTI.

"Oh" The woman squeeked "isn't she sweet?"

"Really?" Martin asked

"She's Brilliant, isn't she" Arthur squealed hugging the plane

"Oh very" The woman said, as they boarded "G-ERTI, sweet"

Both Arthur and Martin smiled, broadly looking in opposite directions.

"Prestwick Tower, Golf Tango India ready for takeoff runaway 31".

"Golf Tango India, Prestwick Tower Echo Golf Foxtrot Charlie, Turn Left heading 125, runway 31 cleared for takeoff."

"Prestwick Tower Golf Tango India , Turn left heading 125, runway 31 Thank you."

After a surprisingly smooth take off, and some moments of quiet Martin suddenly thought of something.

"So you know our names" he started

"Oh promise you won't laugh?" the woman asked

"Oh can I guess your name?" Arthur asked, suddenly appearing from the cabin

"Erm, no Arthur" Martin decreed "and no we won't laugh"

"Ok, well it's Avro" she giggled

"BRILLIANT" Arthur shouted

Martin snorted "What like the plane?" he shook his head "were your parents into planes?"

"You promised you wouldn't laugh" Avro sulked

"I'm not laughing" Arthur pointed out, "I think it's a lovely name, was your Mum and Dad into planes?"

"My Dad is" Avro said sadly

"Oh God he's a pilot isn't he" Martin groaned "That's why you're going to Dusseldorf, he's at this stupid reunion?"

"Yes" Avro mumbled

"Brilliant!" said Arthur

"Erm, he's not Douglas Richardson, is he?" Martin asked suddenly

"No, Bernard Pettywright" Avro said as if announcing a death, "he's the chief pilot at Panavia now."

The rest of the flight went fairly quietly, Martin and Avro played Brian's of Britain, and Arthur tried to play Yellow Car. In fact all in all it had been one of Martin's favourite flights since joining MJN. Most surprisingly Avro seemed to really like him. Then he came under the control of Dusseldorf, and his doubt came back.

After a few moments of silence in the Cockpit, after Arthur had returned to the Cabin, Avro spoke.

"Erm Martin?" she asked "Have you ever landed solo at a big international airport?"

"Of course " he snapped "Just not, just haven't landed at Dusseldorf, tricky headwind"

Avro nodded "Erm Martin, would you like me to help?"

"That's not really practical" he decreed

"I am cleared" she clarified "and I would happily act as co-pilot, Captain"

She got up and strapped herself into Douglas' empty seat, strapping herself in and donning the headset.

"I have control" Martin clarified

"Of course Captain" Avro nodded

"And post landing check's complete" Martin finished.

"Well done Captain" Avro clapped her hands together

"Thank you for your help Miss Pettywright" he returned, trying not to acknowledge that most of the approach had been done by her.

"Have we landed Skip?" Arthur called

"Yes Arthur, you can come up now" Martin called over the com.

"Well done Skipper" Arthur enthused barging into the cockpit "Oh, are you in Douglas' chair Avro?" he asked

"Yes Arthur" she turned smiling, "but wasn't that a good landing from your Captain?"

"Oh yes, Brilliant" he enthused

"Are you coming to the reunion party?" Avro asked, 2or are you staying here to wait for your friends?"

"No we have a room booked at the hotel" Martin sighed

"Oh what a coincidence" Avro smiled, patting his hand, "So do I".


	2. Chapter 2

Having landed and parked G-ERTI successfully, Martin, Arthur and Avro made their way through the airport, to the nearest Taxi rank. Finding a cab they piled inside, Arthur sitting in the middle still now clutching a Dark Toblerone from the airport.

"Erm Skip?" the Steward asked

"Yes Arthur?"

"Can I eat my Toblerone now?"

"Arthur you're 29 years old, and not my son, if you want you're Toblerone, you can have it"

"Brilliant"

20 minutes later the Toblerone was gone, Arthur was giddy and Martin and Avro had come to a natural silence in their conversation. When they pulled up outside the hotel, after a brief scuffle, Avro paid the cab and they entered the Hotel.

Walking into the bar, they saw Carolyn, Douglas and Herc standing together, and Arthur ran over.

"Hi Mum, Hi Douglas, Hullo Herc, this is Avro, we met her at…."

"The Airport" Martin and Avro supplied, hushing a bemused Arthur.

"Hello" Avro smiled nervously "erm nice to meet you"

"Helllooooo" Douglas drawled "Are you ex-Air England?"

"erm…no, my Father is though"

"Oh" Herc outdrawling Douglas, "What's his name? Would we know him?"

"Erm, yes Bernard Pettywright" Avro mumbled, shuffling closer to Martin, and earning a raised eye from Douglas

"Oh, old Petty-Right" Herc answered boisterously "He's off running Panavia isn't he? Saw him earlier this evening"

"Erm, yes well I'll er see you later then Martin" Avro stuttered "Bye Arthur"

"Bye Avro" Arthur waved

"Erm, yes bye Avro" Martin stumbled, then as she walked off through the crowd, he turned to face his companions.

"I might be completely wrong about this Martin" Douglas started "but is it possible you may have actually pulled?"

A few hours later Martin was watching a very hyper Arthur running around the carpark, pretending to be an aeroplane. Douglas overly sober was half-heartedly chatting up a barmaid who was outside on her fag break, when Avro walked out of the main door, and leant on Martin.

"Oh God I'm bored" she said

"hmmm" he answered

"Do you want to come to my room, and charge everything in the mini bar to Daddy's credit card?"

"What? Erm you mean? Erm really?" Martin stuttered

"Only if you want to, I won't force you?" Avro told him

"Erm, hang on, I'll em, I'll meet you in the bar, I just need to talk to Douglas" Martin stuttered

"Roger Captain" Avro winked and wandered off, Martin nearly fainted.

"Douglas" Martin hissed into his First Officer's ear "I need to talk to you"

"I might have misread the scenario Captain, but I believe you've just been offered a night of ambiguity by a not unattractive young woman, but instead of rushing off, your standing in a dodgy carpark, talking to me"

"erm yes, well erm yes, I mean erm Douglas?"

"Martin, if the next words out of your mouth aren't 'could you keep an eye on Arthur while I go and get myself regally shagged' I shall be bitterly disappointed."

"I'm not sure I can do this!" Martin blurted out

"Martin, and bear in mind when you answer this that I am a thrice married Sky God with unshockable morals, you have actually done this before haven't you?"

"Of course I've done, IT, but not you know like this?"

Douglas laughed, "The way I see it Martin is this, you can either spend tonight sharing a single room with a hyperactive sugar filled Arthur, or you can capitalise on what I have been assured by a very excited steward was your Knight in Shining Armour routine at Prestwich. I know certainly which one I'd choose, but as fore-mentioned I'm a thrice married Sky God, and will hopefully spend this evening with the delightful Mandy over there, now if you'll excuse me."

He walked off leaving Martin open mouthed in the carpark.

"Hey Skip Skip SKIIIIIIIIIIIIIPPPPPPPPPPP, look at me!" screamed Arthur

"Goodnight Arthur, see you in the morning" Martin called over his shoulder and walked into the hotel.

Martin woke up as he often did in an unfamiliar hotel room, he woke up as he often did due to the distressed nature of his finances naked, but that was where his normal morning routine took a worrying detour. His left arm was completely dead, when he tried to move it he felt a weight was stopping it move. Further he was warm really, really warm like he'd slept on a radiator. His mind whirring he suddenly thought he really had slept under a radiator, he was just trying to remember yesterday when the heavy warm thing next to him suddenly moved.

"erm Avro?" he murmured

"yeah ehm" she moaned sleepily.

"Avro wake up" he started a little more urgently "wake up"

She groggily lifted her head and shook it a little bit, and about the same time they realised their legs were intertwined, some flustered separating followed which started Avro giggling.

"Good morning Captain" she giggled into his chest.

"Look Avro" Martin started only for her to silence him by kissing him on the lips.

"If you're about to give the 'I'm an airline pilot and flying out in an hour or so speech' I've heard it a million times'"

Martin coughed "you do this a lot?"

"No!" she sat up and away from him a little "from my Dad, he was never around, but that's fine, understood that, he never understood I didn't care if he wasn't at home, just as long as he was thinking of me."

"Oh I wasn't I mean I am an airline pilot and I do have to fly out to Fitton this morning, and you do live in Glasgow." He grabbed her arm gently, "So erm where do we erm stand?"

"Would you like to see me again?" she asked him

"Yes, of course, but I don't see how?"

"You're a clever boy Martin, you'll work it out."


End file.
